The Ethiopian Airlines disaster Sunday marked the second time in less than six months that a relatively new model of Boeing crashed killing all passengers on board.

The flight bound for Nairobi, crashed shortly after takeoff killing all 157 people on board, including eight Americans. Last October the same type of plane, a Boeing 737-8 MAX, crashed in Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board.

CNN aviation expert, Richard Quest, said Sunday following the crash that the fact that they both were the same type of plane is likely coincidental, but added there would be an investigation into the commonalities between the two crashes.

"At the moment, it seems a coincidence,” Quest said. "But I'm guaranteeing to you that the authorities will be examining just how close a coincidence, and whether there are common circumstances between the two.”

"Two brand new planes have crashed from two respected airlines," Quest said, noting that Ethiopian is a “very-well run airline.”

Boeing issued a statement on Twitter following the crash. “A Boeing technical team will be traveling to the crash site to provide technical assistance under the direction of the Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau and U.S. National Transportation Safety Board," Boeing said.

[Related: China grounds 737-MAX jetliners, ramping up pressure on Boeing]


The 737-8 MAX line of jets first came into use in 2017. After the deadly crash in October, Boeing came under scrutiny and ultimately issued a safety warning for the model, highlighting potential difficulty with the sensor technology on board.

Following the incident Sunday, the office of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Twitter that Ahmed visited the site of the crash and that there would be a full investigation.

“PM Abiy Ahmed visited ET 302 accident site this afternoon. He expresses his profound sadness at the loss of life and wishes healing to the friends and families of the bereaved. He provided direction to ensure full and timely investigation and communication of the cause,” the tweet reads.


In a bulletin, Ethiopian Airlines said it is "too early to speculate the cause of the accident" and an investigation would be carried out in collaboration "with all stakeholders including the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and other international entities."