Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Crash — flight between Addis Ababa and Nairobi crashed on 10 March 2019
The crash of ET302, caused by a faulty MCAS system, triggered a two-year global grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX and killed all 157 aboard.
Key Facts
- Date of crash
- 10 March 2019
- Total fatalities
- 157 (149 passengers, 8 crew)
- Aircraft type
- Boeing 737 MAX 8
- Time after takeoff
- 6 minutes
- Ethiopian Airlines deadliest accident
- Surpassed Flight 961 (125 killed, 1996)
- Boeing 737 MAX grounding
- Approximately 2 years worldwide
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Boeing 737 MAX 8's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) relied on a single angle-of-attack sensor with no backup. When that sensor failed, the system repeatedly pitched the aircraft's nose downward, overriding pilot inputs. An identical flaw had caused the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 less than five months earlier, killing 189 people.
On 10 March 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 departed Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa bound for Nairobi, Kenya. Six minutes after takeoff, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, killing all 149 passengers and 8 crew members—a total of 157 people—making it the deadliest aviation accident in Ethiopian history.
The crash, combined with the earlier Lion Air disaster, prompted aviation authorities worldwide to ground the entire Boeing 737 MAX fleet for approximately two years. Investigations scrutinized Boeing's certification process and the adequacy of regulatory oversight. The accident resulted in substantial financial losses for Boeing and led to significant redesigns of the MCAS software before the aircraft was eventually recertified.