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WORLD NEWS Friday 15 March 2019
Why France is analyzing Ethiopian jet's black boxes

By ANGELA CHARLTON Barthe told The Associated recorders will be analyzed.
Associated Press Press. Smaller countries, like Ethio-
PARIS (AP) — France And the BEA said yes. pia, don't have the equip-
doesn't see an unusually The French agency, based ment to read damaged
large number of aviation in the Paris suburb of Le recorders, so they get to
disasters, but its plane crash Bourget, has extensive ex- choose where they want
investigators are world fa- perience in investigating that done. In this case, Ethi-
mous. crashes and other inci- opia picked France, but
The French air accident dents involving commer- not the U.S., which certified
investigation authority, cial flights. The BEA notably the airworthiness of the 737
known by its French acro- helps with investigations in Max jets.
nym BEA, is now handling countries without the re- Peter Goelz, a former man-
the analysis of the flight re- sources or equipment to aging director of the NTSB
corders from the Ethiopian analyze the flight record- who is now an aviation
Airlines jet that crashed af- ers, often called the black Two men carry suitcases containing the flight recorders from the consultant, said Ethiopian
ter takeoff earlier this week, boxes. Ethiopian jet, into the French air accident investigation author- investigators likely avoided
killing 157 people. BEA investigators are also ity, Thursday, March 14, 2019 Le Bourget, north of Paris. sending the data to the U.S.
Ethiopian authorities want- often called upon when an Associated Press because its Federal Avia-
ed European investigators Airbus plane has a problem tion Administration certi-
to handle the analysis be- anywhere in the world, be- gation into what caused tigators have also been fied the airworthiness of the
cause of its complexity, ac- cause the aviation manu- Sunday's crash. sent to Ethiopia to help with Max and has a relationship
cording to BEA spokesman facturer is based in France. The National Transportation the investigation. with manufacturer Boeing.
Sebastien Barthe. They This time the plane was Safety Board in the U.S., Aviation safety experts say The FAA's reluctance to
initially asked Germany, a Boeing, whose popular where Boeing is based, it's standard procedure for ground the planes when
which said it didn't have 737 Max 8 model has been said it will send three inves- the country where a crash most of the world already
the necessary capacity to grounded or barred from tigators to France to help occurred to lead the inves- had done so might also
take it on, so then the Ethi- air space in more than 40 download and analyze the tigation and decide where have played a role, Goelz
opians turned to France, countries pending investi- flight recorders. NTSB inves- the flight data and voice added. q

This photo provided on Thursday March 14, 2019 by the Marine
Nationale, shows the Grimaldi vessel Grande America on fire in
the Bay of Biscay, off the west coast of France, Monday March
11, 2019.
Associated Press
France tries to contain

fuel spill off Atlantic Coast

Associated Press thority says the ship has
PARIS (AP) — French au- since leaked fuel over an
thorities are working to area of about 10 kilome-
contain a fuel spill off the ters (6 miles) long and one
Atlantic Coast after an Ital- kilometer wide. The ship
ian container ship sank fol- was carrying about 2,200
lowing a fire. tons of fuel before the ac-
French and British rescue cident, the French govern-
teams saved all 27 people ment minister in charge of
aboard the Grande Amer- the environment, Francois
ica after it sank Tuesday, de Rugy, told BFM televi-
according to a French sion Thursday.
government statement. A French cleanup ship
Images released Thursday was expected in the area
by the French navy showed Thursday. France has also
flames and plumes of black reached out to the Europe-
smoke spewing from the an Maritime Security Agen-
ship as it listed sharply. cy for help using satellites
The regional maritime au- to locate leaks.q