Work

EAIB final report on Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 (2022)

Ethiopia’s final report of 23 December 2022; the NTSB disputes its account of why the angle-of-attack sensor failed.

4 links, 4 backed by primary records

The debate

What it found

The AOA Sensor malfunction likely occurred as the result of power quality problem that resulted in the loss of power to the left AOA Sensor Heater.1

Who disputes it

National Transportation Safety Board 12 May 2022
the flight crew’s inadequate use of manual electric trim and management of thrust to maintain airplane control2
National Transportation Safety Board 13 Jan 2023
The US team found that the erroneous AOA sensor output was caused by the separation of the AOA sensor vane due to impact with a foreign object, which was most likely a bird.3

Each side is quoted in its own words. Whether a finding holds is not decided here.

Connections 4

Timeline 4 dates

Proof 3 sources

Aircraft Accident Investigation Report, B737-MAX 8, ET-AVJ (Ethiopian Airlines flight 302), as hosted by the French BEA, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of Ethiopia, 23 Dec 2022. Primary record
The AOA Sensor malfunction likely occurred as the result of power quality problem that resulted in the loss of power to the left AOA Sensor Heater.
MCAS design relied on a single AOA sensor, making it vulnerable to erroneous input from the
Repetitive and uncommanded airplane-nose-down inputs from the MCAS due to erroneous AOA input
US comments on the EAIB draft final report on Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 (draft of 30 March 2022; comments dated 12 May 2022), National Transportation Safety Board, 12 May 2022. Primary record
the flight crew’s inadequate use of manual electric trim and management of thrust to maintain airplane control
Response to Final Aircraft Accident Investigation Report, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, National Transportation Safety Board, 13 Jan 2023. Primary record
The US team found that the erroneous AOA sensor output was caused by the separation of the AOA sensor vane due to impact with a foreign object, which was most likely a bird.

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