Transport Minister Blade Nzimande on Tuesday said that a task team, including the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) and the South Africa Search and Rescue, would work with Ethiopian authorities to look into the cause of the air disaster.
The 157 people from 35 nationalities died on Flight ET302 from Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, bound for Nairobi, the Kenyan capital on Sunday — six minutes into the journey.
“The cause of the disaster is not yet known. However, the pilot had reported difficulties and had asked for and granted permission to return to Addis Ababa” when the accident happened, the minister said.
The newly-introduced and US-made state-of-the-art Boeing 737 Max 800 has since suffered serious public relations setback, with airlines in South Africa, China, Ethiopia, and the European Union countries grounding their fleets till further investigations are carried out to certify its continued flying suitability.
This apprehension comes five months in the wake of a similar accident in Indonesia when a Lion Airlines Boeing 737 Max 800 also met similar fate 12 minutes into its flight when it plunged into the sea, killing all passengers and crew.