1. Posted on Thursday 28 January 2010 - 10:55

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   Sanday

   

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   Sanday Chongo Kabange AfricaNews reporter in Lusaka, Zambia

   Early investigations leading to the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane has established that the plane flew in the wrong direction before it disappeared from the radar and plunged into the Mediterranean Sea, killing almost all of the 90 passengers on board.

   

   Reports out of Beirut are quoting Lebanese officials as saying the Ethiopian plane that crashed into the sea off Beirut on Monday did not fly in the direction suggested by Beirut's control tower.
   
   Lebanese officials say the pilot of the Ethiopian Airlines jet was asked to correct his course, but turned in the opposite direction.
   
   It is not clear why this happened, or if it was beyond the pilot's control.
   
   The authorities continue to search for the bodies of the 90 people on board the plane, who are all feared dead.
   
   At least 24 bodies have been pulled from the sea so far. The authorities are also looking for the plane's flight recorders.
   
   According to Lebanese Transportation Minister Ghazi Aridi, the Beirut control tower had asked the pilot "to correct his path, but he did a very fast and strange turn before disappearing completely from the radar".
   
   Defence Minister Elias Murr said the pilot of the plane had failed to follow instructions on take-off from the control tower for unknown reasons.
   
   The Addis Ababa-bound flight plunged into the Mediterranean shortly after take-off from Beirut in a storm.
   
   Flight ET409 disappeared from radar screens some five minutes after take-off at about 0200 early this week, near the village of Naameh.

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Reactions

1. Posted on Saturday 30 January 2010 10:28

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   Ambachew

   

   
   1 berichten
   Lid sinds January 2010

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   Dear Editor,
   
   
   I read the news you posted on the ET flight 409 story. For sure no one knows the exact circumstances of the accident until now. I hope that data from the black box will shade light. Contrary to the news you posted, the Lebanese officials in an earlier news brief confirmed that "the pilot followed instructions and roggered but was lost to contact". Check this link for the full story. http://news.yahoo.com/s/a...ica_afp/lebanonplanecrash
   
   I am extremely worried that the conflicting responses the Lebanese officials are giving is probably there is something else disturbing them.
   
   What was the reason for requesting the pilot to change his course just five minutes in to the flight? Why was it not possible for the tower men to determine this before take off? Especially when thundery weather condition hovering around the Mediterranean was there for days.
   
   I find it extremely difficult to believe that a pilot who served for 20 years in the company fails to comply to tower instructions. There is something else and I strongly urge you to be investigative than only echoing what has been talked of.
   best
   Ambachew

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