Donald Trump finally weighed in on the tragic Ethiopian Airlines crash which killed all 157 passengers and crewmembers and raised serious questions about the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, which has now been involved in two fatal incidents within the past five months.
The president’s solution? Get rid of computers.
Trump on Boeing MAX 8 Crash: I Don’t Want Einstein Flying My Plane
“[O]lder and simpler is far better,” Trump opined, adding that he doesn’t want “Albert Einstein to be my pilot. I want great flying professionals that are allowed to easily and quickly take control of a plane!”
Read the president’s full tweets here:
Airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly. Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT. I see it all the time in many products. Always seeking to go one unnecessary step further, when often old and simpler is far better. Split second decisions are….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2019
….needed, and the complexity creates danger. All of this for great cost yet very little gain. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want Albert Einstein to be my pilot. I want great flying professionals that are allowed to easily and quickly take control of a plane!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2019
Governments Ground Boeing MAX 8 Flights, But Trump Administration Lets Them Fly
Airlines across the world have begun to ground Boeing 737 MAX 8 flights, with China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Mexico, and the UK outright prohibiting MAX 8 planes from operating within their airspace.
Notably, though, the US Federal Aviation Administration has maintained that Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes are still airworthy, allowing airlines to continue flying them in the US. Contrary to Trump’s suggestion that airplane designers should get rid of automation, the FAA said that it would mandate upgrades to the MAX 8’s computer software.
“External reports are drawing similarities between this accident and the Lion Air Flight 610 accident on October 29, 2018,” the FAA said in a notice. “However, this investigation has just begun and to date we have not been provided data to draw any conclusions or take any actions.”
Developing…Check back for updates.