Feinstein in the letter to the FAA said the aircraft brand represented a small fraction of aircraft in the US and so should not constitute a challenge to the industry.
Few days after the deadly aircraft crash involving Ethiopian Airways in Addis-Ababa with 157 lives onboard, an American Senator has ordered the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States to immediately ground the entire Boeing 737 Ma 8 aircraft brand flying in its airspace.
The senator said that this was necessary in order to prevent future crashes, saying that the two crashes, which had occurred in less than six months, were similar to each other in nature.
The letter dated March 11, 2019 and written by a Senator Dianne Feinstein, addressed to Daniel Elwell, the Acting Administrator and made available to our correspondent said that the aircraft brand should remain temporarily grounded in the United States until their safe use has been confirmed.
The Senator declared that the weekend’s tragic airplane crash in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was similar to the October 29, 2018 crash near Jakarta, Indonesia.
Feinstein in the letter to the FAA said the aircraft brand represented a small fraction of aircraft in the US and so should not constitute a challenge to the industry.
The senator regretted that the aircraft brand had claimed 346 lives in two air crashes in less than six months, saying that such should not be allowed to continue.
Feinstein noted that both tragedies; Lion Jet and Ethiopian Airlines were similar and involved a new B737 Max 8, crashing only a few minutes after takeoff.
She senator stressed further that the two accidents had raised legitimate questions about whether an unknown problem exists, which must be discovered and remedied as soon as possible.
The senator noted that the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) would assist in the investigation of the Ethiopian Airlines crash.
The letter added: “Until the cause of the crash is known and it’s clear that similar risks aren’t present in the domestic fleet, I believe all Boeing 737 Max 8 series aircraft operating in the United States should be temporarily grounded. This aircraft model represents only a small fraction of the domestic fleet, and several other countries have already taken this important step, including China and Indonesia.
“I ask that the FAA evaluate whether similar precautions in the United States are advisable and practicable. Continuing to fly an airplane that has been involved in two fatal crashes within six months, present an unnecessary, potentially life-threatening risk to the traveling public.
“Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter and for your commitment to maintaining the safety of aviation in the United States.”
