The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it has found new evidence at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines crash, prompting Boeing to announce the suspension of its entire global fleet.
According to BBC News, the FAA deployed a team of investigators to look into the crash site of the Ethiopian Airlines. The agency's acting administrator, Dan Elwell said, "It became clear to all parties that the track of the Ethiopian Airlines [flight] was very close and behaved very similarly to the Lion Air flight."
Elwell went on to explain that the evidence found on the site "made it even more likely the flight path was very close to Lion Air's." His statements came after multiple countries banned Boeing jets.
U.S. President Donald Trump previously said the FAA will release an emergency order after physical evidence was retrieved from the site. Other data relevant to the investigation have also been obtained from other complaints. It is worth noting that the FAA said before Wednesday that the Boeing 737 Max did not show performance issues within its system.
In response to widespread fears about Boeing jets malfunctioning, the American plane manufacturer said: "it continues to have full confidence in the safety of the 737 Max." The firm clarified that it decided to ground flights due to "an abundance of caution."
President, Chief Executive and Chairman of Boeing, Dennis Muilenburg said the manufacturer is doing everything to understand and investigate the accidents. He said the company has partnered with investigators to ensure that accidents like that of the Ethiopian Airlines will not occur again.
On Sunday, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff. Multiple outlets reported that the crash took the lives of all 157 people onboard. According to The Guardian, Sunday's incident was the second in five months that involved the Boeing 737 Max 8 model.
The first incident happened off Indonesia with the Lion Air crash that killed 189 people. Media reports stated that pilots on both planes reported issues shortly after takeoff. The pilots reportedly asked for assistance on emergency landings.
Meanwhile, tributes have been pouring at the crash site with flowers and notes covering the location. Visitors cried and others helped family members of the victims as they staggered through the site. Security personnel also surrounded the area as families from around 35 countries joined hands in paying tribute to the dead.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has visited the crash site while investigators poured in to assist in the multinational inquiry that continues to haunt Boeing.
