Aviation expert's message to travelers worried about flying after Ethiopian plane crash

ByReggie Aqui, Kristen Sze, and Eric Shackelford KGO logo
Monday, March 11, 2019
Aviation expert weighs in on specific plane in Ethiopia crash
Aviation expert weighs in on specific plane in Ethiopia crash

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- An aviation expert joined Midday Live to talk about the plane involved in the crash in Ethiopia that killed 157 people.

RELATED: 157 killed, including 8 Americans, in Ethiopian Airlines plane crash en route to Kenya

Mary Schiavo is the former Inspector General for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. She talks about why the specific plane, a Boeing 737 Max 8, has not been grounded in the U.S.

Two domestic airlines currently fly those planes-- Southwest and American. Schiavo notes that other countries have already ordered ground stops.

"It's a huge mystery and two brand new planes have fallen from the sky, anyone would be cautious," Schiavo is also referring to the Lion Air crash in October involving the same exact type of plane. She believes every Boeing 737 Max 8 needs to be grounded.

RELATED: Ethiopian Airline crash: Black box found after 157 die in plane crash

Schiavo also talks about the similarities and differences between this crash and the Lion Air crash.

Schiavo also comments on what the average person who is flying over the next few months should be thinking about. Watch more in the video above.

Watch ABC7's "Midday Live" every weekday at 11 a.m., right after "The View."

You can also stream it live or watch it on the ABC7 News App.