Miloch wrote in
:

https://gizmodo.com/which-u-s-airlin...-737-max-8-183
3200705

The Boeing 737 Max-8 is one of the newest commercial airplanes in the
sky. But after yesterday’s crash that killed 157 people in Ethiopia,
it’s already involved in two of the deadliest crashes of the past few
years. Sadly, another Boeing 737 Max-8 crashed in Indonesia this past
October, killing 189 people.

China and Indonesia have grounded all of their Max-8 planes, but the
two U.S.-based carriers that operate the Max-8, American Airlines and
Southwest Air, have no plans to stop using the aircraft. No other
U.S.-based airline currently has the Max-8.

“Our heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the passengers
and Employees on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302,” a spokesperson for
Southwest said in an email to Gizmodo. “We remain confident in the
safety and airworthiness of our fleet of more than 750 Boeing
aircraft.”

Southwest has ordered 250 of the Max-8 model from Boeing, but
currently has just 34 operating in its fleet. American Airlines
ordered 100 from Boeing and currently has 24 in operation.

“American continues to collaborate with the FAA and other regulatory
authorities, as the safety of our team members and customers is our
number one priority. We have full confidence in the aircraft and our
crew members, who are the best and most experienced in the industry,”
a spokesperson for American Airlines told Gizmodo over email.

It’s too soon to know what caused the crash in Ethiopia, but the plane
may have experienced similar problems to the Lion Air flight that
crashed in October. Both crashes happened shortly after takeoff after
pilots reportedly experienced issues controlling altitude. In the case
of the Lion Air flight, the plane was apparently getting false
readings from sensors. After that crash, Boeing is said to have issued
a warning that automated systems could push the nose of the plane
down, causing it to abruptly dive.

“Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers
and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane,” Paul
R. Bergman, a spokesperson for Boeing, told Gizmodo via email. “We
extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the
passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian
Airlines team.”

“A Boeing technical team will be travelling to the crash site to
provide technical assistance under the direction of the Ethiopia
Accident Investigation Bureau and U.S. National Transportation Safety
Board,” said Bergman.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not ordered anyone to
stop using the Boeing 737 Max-8, but customers are understandably
concerned. Some people are even taking to social media to tell
Southwest and American that they’ll be cancelling their flights
because they want to avoid that particular aircraft. How can you tell
what kind of plane you’ll be on? The best resource online is called
SeatGuru. Just type in your airline’s name, the date you’re flying,
and the flight number.

The 737 Max-8 is advertised as having the “widest economy seat” of all
the 737s. But that extra room might not be worth it when two Max-8
aircraft have fallen out of the sky.


Some of us remember the DC 10 engine separation
crash at Chicago in 1979. Airlines were quick to
cancel their orders and McDonnel Douglas took a
huge financial bath on issue. As always, the
government stepped in with a bailout (we can't
have a major defense company go under, you know)
of sorts when the Air Force placed a large order
for an airborne tanker version. The design was
doomed but the company survived. Boeing is in
even better too-big-to-fail position.