Accident Overview
On 25 January 2010, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409, a Boeing 737-800 registered ET-ANB, departed Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BRHIA) at 02:37 local time on a scheduled flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean Sea approximately 3 nautical miles northwest of the airport. All 90 people on board—82 passengers and 8 crew members—were killed.
Flight Details
The aircraft was climbing through approximately 9,000 feet when it disappeared from radar. Witnesses reported seeing fire on the aircraft before it struck the water.
Investigation
The Lebanese Government launched an investigation as the State of Occurrence in accordance with ICAO Annex 13. A Preliminary Report was submitted on 25 February 2010. Two Investigation Progress Reports were released on 10 February 2011 and 25 August 2011. The Final Report was issued following consultation with the NTSB (USA), ECAA (Ethiopia), and BEA (France). Differences between the Ethiopian party and the rest of the Investigation Committee are appended as Appendix Z to the report. The investigation report was published by the Lebanese Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).