Boeing Faces Questions After Ethiopian Airline Crash

The crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane that killed all 157 people on board on March 11 has raised fresh questions about the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX 8.

It was the second accident in less than six months involving the same model of plane, after a Lion Air flight fell into the ocean off the coast of Indonesia in October, killing 189.

In response, Ethiopian Airlines and China grounded all their Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes.

The U.S. plane manufacturer said it was sending a team to provide technical assistance.

Ethiopian Airlines said that its plane, bound for Nairobi, Kenya, crashed minutes after it left Addis Ababa.

The pilot reported difficulties and had asked to return to the Ethiopian capital, the airline said.

Passengers from more than 30 countries were on board the flight, including 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, seven Britons, five Germans, three Russians, and one Serbian.

The United Nations said 19 staff members from affiliated agencies were among the victims.

Slovak lawmaker Anton Hrnko said via Facebook that his wife and two children were on the plane.

March 11 has been declared as a national day of mourning in Ethiopia.

The 737 MAX 8 aircraft has only been in commercial use since 2017.