Ethiopian Airlines pilot warned more training needed for 737 Max: report

A pilot urged Ethiopian Airlines managers for more training on the Boeing 737 Max aircraft in an effort to prevent a crash similar to that of the doomed Lion Air Flight 610 flight that killed all 189 passengers, according to emails and documents seen by Bloomberg News.

The pilot reportedly warned managers in December that more training was required following the Lion Air crash in October. He also called for greater communication with 737 crew members, Bloomberg reported.

Three months after the pilot delivered the warning, Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 crashed and killed all 157 passengers.

“It will be a crash for sure,” the pilot said in an email in December, Bloomberg reported.

It is unclear if the Ethiopian Airlines crash would have been prevented if the airline heeded the pilot's warnings.

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A pilot urged Ethiopian Airlines senior managers for more training on the Boeing 737 Max aircraft, following the doomed Lion Air Flight 610 crash that killed all 189 passengers two months earlier, according to emails and documents seen by Bloomberg News.

Bernd Kai von Hoesslin, the Ethiopian Airlines pilot and 737 instructor, reportedly warned managers in December that more training was required following the Lion Air crash in October. He also suggested greater communication between crew members. Three months after von Hoesslin delivered the warning, Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 crashed and killed all 157 passengers.

Von Hoesslin was concerned with how pilots would handle an issue with the 737 Max's flight-control feature in conjunction with cockpit warnings, according to the emails seen my Bloomberg.

“It will be a crash for sure,” von Hoesslin said in an email in December, Bloomberg reported.

Read more: Boeing reportedly let some of its mechanics inspect their own work, and it's causing problems for the manufacturer at the worst possible time

Von Hoesslin also expressed his concerns on aircraft maintenance and pilot fatigue in 418-pages of communications. Von Hoesslin reportedly left the airline in April and included his previous advice with his resignation letter. He declined to comment for the Bloomberg story.

“Some of these concerns were safety-related and well within the duty of the airline to adequately address,” von Hoesslin said in his resignation letter, according to Bloomberg.

An Ethiopian Airlines spokesman told Bloomberg they could not comment on the story.

Initial news reports suggest that a faulty reading from a sensor could have played a role in both crashes. The reports indicate that the faulty sensor may have triggered the plane's automated system, which would point the nose downward after takeoff to prevent the plane from stalling.

Von Hoesslin mentioned the aircraft's sensor from the automated safety system — a feature currently being scrutinized by investigators. However, it is unclear if the Ethiopian Airlines crash would have been prevented if the airline heeded his warning, Bloomberg noted.

Boeing has been under intense scrutiny following the crashes. Multiple news reports have revealed problems in the production process, including for the 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Errors on the production line included debris in airspeed sensors, rags and bolts in planes, and loose cabin seats, The Post and Courier reported earlier in May. Tires with cuts in them, untested gears, and malfunctioning hydraulics systems were also spotted by workers, some of whom were allowed to self-inspect their work.