Ethiopian Airlines flight crashes killing all 157 onboard 10 March 2019
Ethiopian Airlines flight crashes minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 Ababa, Ethiopia — An Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopia's capital Sunday morning, killing all 157 on board, authorities said, as grieving families rushed to airports in Addis Ababa and the destination, Nairobi. More than 30 nationalities are among the dead, including at least eight Americans. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash of the Boeing 737-8 MAX plane , which was new and had been delivered to the airline in November. The pilot of Flight ET 302 sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return, the airline's CEO told reporters. The crash shattered more than two years of relative calm in African skies, where travel had long been chaotic. It also was a serious blow to state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, which has expanded to become the continent's largest and best-managed carrier and turned Addis Ababa into the gateway to Africa.