Collision Could Have Damaged Sensor That Let To MCAS Malfunction

The Ethiopian Boeing 737 MAX which went down earlier this month may have been involved in a bird strike, according to unnamed U.S. aviation officials.

Multiple media outlets are reporting that "industry and government officials familiar with the investigation" told the Wall Street Journal that the plane may have struck a bird, resulting in damage to a sensor which then fed erroneous data to the plane's MCAS.

However, Ethiopian officials say there was "no evidence of foreign-object damage" to the sensor, and that they have found no evidence of a bird strike, according to Investor's Business Daily.

The possibility of a bird strike was also discussed and later dismissed in the Lion Air accident involving a 737 MAX in October, according to the report.

In a related development, Investor's Business Daily reports that China Eastern is seeking compensation from Boeing because the fleet of 737 MAX airplanes is grounded worldwide. The amount of compensation sought by China Eastern is not specified, but the carrier is also delaying deliveries of 737 MAX airliners it has on order, according to Chinese media reports.

Turkish Airlines has also indicated that it expects some compensation from Boeing related to the grounding of its 12 737 MAX airplanes.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report