Published 20:14 IST, October 29th 2019
One year on, families of Boeing-LionAir disaster remember their kin
Families of the deceased tossed flowers into the Java sea as an offering on October 29, marking one year since an Indonesian Lion Air jet crashed
Families of the deceased tossed flowers into the Java sea as an offering on October 29 marking one year since an Indonesian Lion Air jet crashed, killing all 189 onboard. The crash was followed by another similar aircraft failure crash which was all linked to plane design involving the same model Boeing 737-Max aircraft - when an Ethiopian Airlines plane went down with 157 people aboard, leading to the global grounding of the US planemaker's entire MAX fleet.
Though the ceremony on Tuesday was not open to media, relatives shared images and footage of family members praying and offering flowers into the sea. The sight was emotional as many were seen breaking down and there were women in Lion Air flight attendant uniforms embracing grief-stricken relatives. Many relatives also did not attend the ceremony.
A grieving relative told the media that he hoped that a year since the incident Lion Air will heed all of its obligations to the victims' families.
Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee report blames Boeing for crash
Last Friday, Boeing's design flaw, inadequate pilot training, and poor flight crew performance were finally deemed responsible for the Lion Air Crash by Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee. The report pointed out the design and mechanical problems with the MAX model's Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), an anti-stall mechanism, that pilots in both disasters had struggled to control as their jets careered downwards. It also blamed the US regulators for certifying the system. There were a total of nine factors enlisted that led to the crash.
Boeing acknowledges its failure and glitches
Following this, Boeing acknowledged the final investigation report of Lion Air Flight 610 in a tweet. The company has grounded its 737 Max 8 planes globally. Speaking on the report, the company's CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, said that it will be addressing the KNKT's safety recommendations. He assured that Boeing will fix the faults so that it is not repeated and hoped for the continuation of the partnership with Lion Air.
Updated 20:30 IST, October 29th 2019