Reports say Boeing plans to introduce and implement a software upgrade for its 737 Max aircraft in 10 days. The FAA is expected to approve Boeing’s software changes to the aircraft’s flight system on March 25, according to sources and news reports.
It has been established by listening to ATC recordings of the communications between the Ethiopian Airlines flight and controllers, that almost immediately after takeoff from the departure airport in Addis Ababa, the crew experienced difficulties. They requested permission to return to the airport.
One minute after departure, it is reported that the captain stated they were experiencing a “flight control” problem and their altitude is reported to be well below what is known as the minimum safe height from the ground during a climb. Two minutes after departure the plane had climbed to a safer altitude. Then the controllers observed the plane going climbing and descending erratically causing the controllers to remark about what the flight was doing.
The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have been recovered and sent to France to be analyzed.