Plane crash blamed on pilot error

Ethiopian Airlines, one of Africa’s most successful carriers, is fighting claims that pilot error and inexperience were behind a 2010 crash of one of its aircraft in Lebanon where all 90 people on board died.

A report released on Tuesday by the Lebanese ministry of Public Works and Transport said the pilot had flown 188 hours in 51 days with “absolute minimum rest”, which contributed to the January 25, 2010 crash.

According to the 191-page report, the pilot had been overworked when the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed into the Mediterranean minutes after take off from Beirut, killing 82 passengers and eight members of its crew.

The findings have cast a dark shadow on the airlines’ safety measures critical for any aviation business.

But in a quick rejoinder, Ethiopian Airlines has moved to absolve the blame on its pilot, saying the crash was likely caused by sabotage or a lightning strike.

It termed the report ‘biased, lacking evidence, incomplete and did not present the full account of the accident’ and accused the Lebanese government for speculating on the cause of the accident as pilot error right from the day of the accident, contrary to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13.

“We are not surprised that the investigation process in the last couple of years was used only to justify the speculation made publicly before the beginning of the investigation process.

To this effect, the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority has appended its comments to the report and expressed its regrets and disagreement both in the investigation process and the final report,” said Mr Tewolde Gebremariam, chief executive officer of Ethiopian Airlines in a statement.

Additional reporting by AFP