No answers for family of Exmouth woman killed in plane crash three years on

The family of an Exmouth woman killed in a plane crash have now been waiting more than three years for an inquest to take place.

Joanna Toole, 36, was killed along with six other British citizens when Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 crashed six minutes after takeoff on 10 March 2019.

The final accident report hasn't yet been published by the Ethiopian government - and this is delaying inquest proceedings.

Ms. Toole had been on her way to give a presentation on ocean plastic pollution to the UN Environment Assembly in Kenya.

A memorial to Joanna, who grew up in Exmouth, was unveiled earlier this month on the Exe Estuary Trail.

Why hasn't the report been published yet?

Law firm Irwin Mitchell, which is representing some of the British victims' families, said that a pre-inquest review hearing has been adjourned several times due to the delays.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Transport announced in March 2021 that it was preparing to '…release the final accident investigation report in the near future'.

In November 2021, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office told Adrian Toole, Joanna's father, that the British Embassy in Addis Ababa would lobby the Ethiopian government.

It also said that the UK's Air Accident Investigation Branch had been contacted for help. The AAIB usually only investigates crashes within the UK and its overseas territories and crown dependencies.

The hearing is now scheduled for 29 June - but it might not go ahead if the final accident report is again delayed.

Mr. Toole said: "For this process to move forward, we need to see that accident report and the ongoing delays are becoming increasingly hard to understand or accept. All we are asking for is the truth and transparency and the sooner we see this report published the better."

Lawyer Clive Garner added: "Obviously the investigations into the circumstances leading to the crash of Flight ET302 and the deaths of 157 passengers and crew need to be thorough and comprehensive.

"It is crucially important that the findings are accurate and that they can be relied upon confidently by all. That said, it is now 3 years after the accident and the continuing delays in publication of the report are unacceptable, particularly as 12 months ago assurances were made that the report was in its 'final stages'.

"The report is now long overdue and it is essential that it is published at the earliest possible opportunity."

Boeing 737 MAX fit to fly despite missing report

The Boeing 737 MAX has been re-certified following its grounding after two flights crashed just minutes after takeoff in 2018 and 2019.

Lion Air Flight 610 crashed 13 minutes after takeoff on October 29, 2018 from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board. Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 crashed six minutes after takeoff on 10 March 2019 from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing all 157 people on board.

It has been labelled as fit to fly by US, EU and UK aviation authorities, despite the fact that the precise causes of why flight ET302 crashed are not yet known.

Clive Garner said: "We and our clients have raised questions previously about the re-certification of the Boeing 737 MAX and why this occurred without consideration of the final accident report on Flight ET302.

"These concerns remain and the final report could contain important information relevant to the safety of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and the decisions of civil aviation authorities to lift the world-wide flight ban on this aircraft type."

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