The US has grounded all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft while the Federal Aviation Administration investigates new evidence there may be similarities between two fatal crashes involving the aircraft in less than five months.

President Donald Trump announced the grounding of all US Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 9 aircraft Wednesday US time, saying authorities had received new information from the Ethiopian crash site “and other locations”.

Boeing subsequently announced it had recommended that the global MAX fleet be grounded “out of an abundance of caution and in order to reassure the flying public of the aircraft’s safety”.

The US  is one of the last countries to ground the type in the wake of the fatal crashes of Lion Air Flight JT610 last October and Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 on Sunday. All 189 passengers died in the Lion Air crash, while 157 died in the Ethiopian tragedy.

READ: Pilot of fatal Ethiopian flight reported technical difficulties.

Citing the safety of Americans as a paramount concern,  Trump said the grounding meant any plane currently in the air would go to its destination and be grounded until further notice.

“The FAA is prepared to make an announcement very shortly regarding the new information and physical evidence we’ve received from the site and from other locations and through a couple of other complaints,” he said.

“We’ve had a very, very detailed group of people working on the 737-8 and the 737- 9 new airplanes. We’re going to be issuing an emergency order of prohibition to ground all flights of the 737 Max 8 and the 737 Max 9 and planes associated with that line.”

Trump said he had spoken with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, acting Federal Aviation Administration head Dan Elwell and Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg and they were in agreement with the action.

“Airlines have been all notified, airlines are agreeing with this,” he said. “The safety of the American people, and all people, is of paramount concern.”

The US president expressed sympathy for the Lion Air crash last October and Sunday’s crash of Ethiopian Flight 302, which klilled157 people.

“Boeing is an incredible company, they are working very, very hard right now,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll come up with the answer but until they do the planes are grounded.”

In its emergency order of prohibition, the FAA said the new information related to the aircraft’s configuration just after takeoff and refined data from satellite-based tracking of the aircraft’s flight path.

Taken together, it said, these indicated some similarities between The Lion Air and Ethiopian accidents “that warrant further investigation of the possibility of a shared cause for the two accidents that needs to be better understood and addressed”.

“The agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analyzed today,” the FAA said in a statement.

“This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision.

“The grounding will remain in effect pending further investigation, including examination of information from the aircraft’s flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders.

“An FAA team is in Ethiopia assisting the NTSB as parties to the investigation of the Flight 302 accident.”

The FAA  had been under increasing pressure to ground MAX aircraft amid increasing public concern about their safety.

READ: Europe, US at odds over 737 MAX groundings

Its decision came after Canada decided to ground its MAX aircraft, joining other countries around the world ordered operators to take the new 737 variants out of the air.

The FAA had previously argued there was not sufficient evidence to take the action and media reports in the US claimed Boeing’s Muilenburg had lobbied against the grounding.

Boeing said in a statement that it continued to have full confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX.

But it had decided after consultation with the FAA and the US National Transportation Safety Board to recommend to the temporary suspension of the entire global fleet of 371 737 MAX aircraft.

“We are supporting this proactive step out of an abundance of caution, ” Muilenburg said.

“Safety is a core value at Boeing for as long as we have been building airplanes and it always will be. There is no greater priority for the company and our industry.

“We are doing everything we can to understand the cause of the accidents in partnership with the investigators, deploy safety enhancements and help ensure this does not happen again.”

US airlines reacted quickly to comply with the grounding. American Airlines, which has 24 737 MAX aircraft, said it operated 85 flights a day using the plane out of 6,700 daily departures.

It said it regularly monitored its aircraft,  including extensive flight data collection, and this gave it confidence in the safe operation of all its aircraft while contributing to its exemplary safety record.

“American has flown more than 2.5 million passengers — during 46,400 operating hours encompassing nearly 18,000 flights — safely on our MAX 8 fleet since the first one was delivered on Sept. 2017 and began commercial service later that November,” it said.

Southwest Airlines said its 34 MAX aircraft accounted for less than 5 percent of its daily flights.

“While we remain confident in the MX 8 after completing more than 88,000 flight hours accrued over 41,000 flights, we support the actions of the FAA and other regulatory agencies and governments across the globe that have asked for further review of the data — including information from the flight data recorder — related to the recent accident involving the MAX 8,” it said.

Meanwhile, an Ethiopian Airlines spokesman said the crashed plane’s black boxes were heading to Europe to speed up the analysis of the crucial information they contain.

While investigators have yet to determine the cause of the Ethiopian crash, it has been revealed that one of the pilots told air traffic controllers the plane had “flight control problems” while requesting permission to return to Addis Ababa.

The Wall Street Journal reported Ethopia had asked France’s Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses  for assitance in analyzing the flight recorders.

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Boeing’s latest versions of the 737 have been dealt a new blow with the European Union  Aviation Safety Agency banning all flights within, to or from Europe but US authorities have hit back.

The Europeans say say further action may be necessary to ensure the continued airworthiness of the B737 MAX 8 and MAX 9.

EASA justified its decision by saying it was taking every step necessary to ensure the safety of passengers in the wake of the tragedy involving Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302, which slammed into the ground on Sunday with 157 people on board.

With Gulf airlines also grounding the MAX aircraft, the US and Canada are now the only countries still flying substantial numbers of the planes.

But Boeing said it had full confidence in the planes and there was no basis to issue further guidance at this stage.

And the US Federal Aviation Administration reiterated its view that there was so far no evidence to warrant grounding e planes.

“The FAA continues to review extensively all available data and aggregate safety performance from operators and pilots of the Boeing 737 MAX,” it said.

“Thus far, our review shows no systematic performance issues and provides no basis to order grounding the aircraft.

“Nor have other civil aviation authorities provided data to us that would warrant action.

“In the course of our urgent review of data on the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash, if any issues affecting the continued airworthiness of the aircraft are identified, the FAA will take immediate and appropriate action.”

EASA published an airworthiness directive (AD) suspending all operations of Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft in Europe.

It also suspended commercial flights performed by third country operators of the planes “into, within or out of the EU”.

The move comes after the number of countries banning the plane expanded Tuesday to include Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey, Holland, Germany, Iceland, France and the UK.

In its AD, The EU noted that a previous crash involving Lion Air in October had prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration to issue an emergency directive, later replaced by a final rule, requiring certain changes to the aircraft manual regarding runaway horizontal stabilizer trim limitations and procedures.

“ Since that action, another fatal accident occurred,’’ it said.

“ At this early stage of the related investigation, it cannot be excluded that similar causes may have contributed to both events.”

The FAA issued a notice to the international aviation community Tuesday outlining what it and Boeing have been doing in recent months to address some of the issues that arose from the Lion Air crash but EASA said further action may be necessary.

“Based on all available information, EASA considers that further actions may be necessary to ensure the continued airworthiness of the two affected models,’’ it said.

“For the reasons described above, pending the availability of more information, EASA has decided to suspend all flight operations of the two affected models.”

There is still no hard evidence of a link between the incidents in Ethiopia and Indonesia but the industry and media have been spooked by similarities between the two.

Ethiopian airline chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam told CNN’s Richard Quest that the pilots of ET302 told air traffic control they were having flight control problems before the crash.

He said the pilots were aware of the AD issued after the Lion Air crash in October and had additional training.

He also revealed the flight data and cockpit voice recorders were being sent overseas to be read but did not specify where.

GebreMariam said he believed the similarities between the Lion Air and Ethiopian crash were “substantial” given that both incidents featured brand new airplanes of the same model and both flights lasted for just minutes.

The FAA has not banned the plane at this stage and US carriers, which operate 74 of the global fleet of 383 MAX aircraft, are still flying it.

The crisis hit Boeing’s share price again seeing it close down more than 6 percent Tuesday after dropping more than 5 percent on Monday.

It has even attracted the attention of US President Donald Trump who expressed the opinion that planes are becoming too complex to fly.

“Pilots are no longer needed but rather computer scientists from MIT,” he said. “I see all the time in many products. Always seeking to go one unnecessary step further when often old and old and simpler is far better.”

The tweet prompted a phone call from Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg who reiterated the company’s position that the MAX aircraft is safe.

Boeing’s statement said safety was its number one priority and it had “full confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX”.

“We understand that regulatory agencies and customers have made decisions that they believe are most appropriate for their home markets.

“We’ll continue to engage with them to ensure they have the information needed to have confidence in operating their fleets.

“The United States Federal Aviation Administration is not mandating any further action at this time, and based on the information currently available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators.”

The FAA said in a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community issued Monday that it did not have information that would prompt it to draw conclusions or take action but it would do so if it identified a safety issue.

It has been working with Boeing for some time on changes arising from the Lion Air crash and expects to issue an airworthiness directive about flight control enhancements no later than April.

Boeing said the changes included updates to MCAS, pilot displays, operations manuals and crew training.

READ: Ethiopian Flight recorders found as more 737 MAX 8s grounded

But it said it was important to note the FAA was not mandating any further action at this time and the actions in its earlier AD continued to be appropriate.

It said a flight control law known as MCAS that is part of the debate on the 737 MAX was put through flight testing as part of the certification process and does not control the aircraft in normal flight, only abnormal situations.

Its flight crew operations manual already outlined a procedure to safely handle “the unlikely event of erroneous data coming from an angle of attack sensor,” it said.

The Ethiopian 737 MAX that crashed Sunday was trailing smoke before impact according to a Reuters report.

Flight 302 was on a flight from the Ethiopian capital to Nairobi with 157 passengers and crew. All perished.

READ: Virgin Australia pilots defend the 737 MAX

Reuters says it interviewed “half a dozen witnesses in the farmland where the plane came down” and they all reported, “smoke billowing out behind, while four of them also described a loud sound.”

“It was a loud rattling sound. Like straining and shaking metal,” said Turn Buzuna, a 26-year-old housewife and farmer who lives about 300 meters (328 yards) from the crash site.

“Everyone says they have never heard that kind of sound from a plane and they are under a flight path,” she told Reuters.

These revelations would appear to rule out any link to the Lion Air crash last October which involved the same type of aircraft.

Many media have linked the two crashes and Boeing appears to be losing the public relations battle, at least for now.

It has a technical team at the crash site as does the US National Transportation Safety Board and the US Federal Aviation Administration.

An important breakthrough has been the discovery of the flight data and cockpit voice recorders which will help shed light on the events that overtook the aircraft.

Aviation authorities in China and Indonesia moved quickly to suspend 737 MAX operations and the jurisdictions temporarily banning the plane widened Tuesday to include Australia and Singapore.

Regulators in both countries suspended 737 MAX operations to and from their airports.

Only two foreign airlines fly the MAX to Australia: Singapore-based SilkAir and Fiji Airways

Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority said the temporary suspension was in the best interests of safety in light of the two recent accidents involving MAX aircraft.

CASA said it was closely monitoring the situation and the suspension would be reviewed as relevant safety information became available from Boeing, the FAA and accident investigators.

“This is a temporary suspension while we wait for more information to review the safety risks of continued operations of the Boeing 737 MAX to and from Australia.” CASA boss Shane Carmody said.

“CASA regrets any inconvenience to passengers but believes it is important to always put safety first.”

Fiji Airways said it had suspended its Boeing 737 MAX operations to and from Australia in compliance with the CASA directive.

The airline has three 737-800s and a 737-700 it can use as replacements as well as widebody A330s.

SilkAir parent Singapore Airlines had temporarily withdrawn its six Max 8’s from service before the CASA announcement, saying the safety of its customers and crew was its highest priority.

“As of this morning, all six aircraft have been grounded in Singapore and will not be returned to service until further notice,” spokesman Karl Schubert said. “Our 17 Boeing 737-800NGs are not affected.

“The withdrawal from service of the 737 MAX 8 fleet will have an impact on some of the airline’s flight schedules. Customers who may be affected by flight disruptions will be contacted for reaccommodation.”

The Australians said they were working with Fiji Airlines to minimize any disruptions and allow it to replace its 737 Max aircraft with other types.

Also Downunder, Virgin Australia took a more cautious approach to its upcoming deliveries of the plane that fueled speculation it may be wavering on its decision to take 30 MAX aircraft starting later this year.

The airline reiterated its commitment to the MAX after the Lion Air crash but his been more circumspect in the wake of the second crash.

It said it was watching the situation closely and monitoring any updates from Boeing and investigating authorities.

“There are currently no Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in our fleet and it is too early for us to make comment on our order,” it said in a statement.

“With our first aircraft delivery not due until November this year, we believe there is sufficient time to consider the outcome of the investigation and make an assessment.

“We will continue to work with Boeing and the relevant authorities as more information becomes available.”

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The flight data and cockpit voice recorders have both been recovered from the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 as the number of airlines grounding Boeing’s latest version of its workhorse 737 has increased to more than 20.

The deadly crash on Sunday of the Ethiopian plane with 157 people on board was the second involving a new Boeing 737 MAX 8 since October.

The “black boxes” will be crucial in determining what happened to the Ethiopian aircraft and if there is a link to a Lion Air 737 MAX 8 crash shortly after take-off from Jakarta last October.

In what is proving to be a widening crisis for Boeing that saw its share price close down by more than 5 percent Monday,  aviation authorities in China and Indonesia ordered that Boeing 737 MAX aircraft be grounded.

Ethiopian Airlines also ordered its remaining 737 MAX fleet out of the air as a precautionary measure.

Blue chip carrier Singapore Airlines has also temporarily withdrawn six Boeing 737 Max 8’s from service, saying the safety of its customers and crew were its highest priority. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore also suspended the operation of MAX aircraft into and out of the city-state.

Other operators to ground the planes include Aeromexico, Royal Air Maroc and Cayman Airways.

But the US Federal Aviation Administration, noting that the investigation has just begun, says it does not have information to draw conclusions or take any action.

The FAA continually assesses and oversees the safety performance of US commercial aircraft and said it would take “immediate and appropriate action” if it identified a safety issue.

It outlined in a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community how it had been monitoring design changes being made to the 737 MAX in the wake of the Lion Air crash.

Boeing has been developing these over the past several months and says they are designed to make the 737 MAX “even safer”.

“Safety is a core value for everyone at Boeing and the safety of our airplanes, our customers’ passengers and their crews is always our top priority,” the company said.

“The 737 MAX is a safe airplane that was designed, built and supported by our skilled employees who approach their work with the utmost integrity.”

US carriers, which operate 74 of the global fleet of 387 737 MAX aircraft,  are continuing to fly the planes but Transportation Secretary Elaine Cho also told reporters that the FAA would “take immediate and appropriate action” if it identified an issue which affected safety.

Other airlines such as Norwegian, LOT Polish Airlines flydubai, Smartwings, S7 Group and Oman Air are also continuing to fly pending further information.

What is known about the Ethiopian crash so far is the pilots reported technical difficulties and asked to return to Addis Ababa during a flight to Nairobi.

READ: Pilot of Fatal Ethiopian flight reported “technical difficulties”.

The plane took off from runway 27R at Bole Airport at 8:38 am local time and contact was lost six minutes later at 8:44 am.

Weather at the time was fine with a visibility of more than 10kms, with a few clouds at 2500ft, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

The Aviation Herald said the last transponder data received from the plane indicated it was flying at just over 9000ft above sea level when contact was lost. Addis Ababa airport is just over 7600ft above sea level.

It noted that photographs of the crash site indicated the plane had been in a deep dive.

Flightradar 24 data shows the 737 MAX 8 was climbing normally with constant speed and altitude lines when suddenly all radar and systems contact is lost. However, it points out that its ADSB coverage is limited in the area.

There is so far no hard evidence that the Ethiopian and Lion Air crashes are linked but the latest tragedy has sparked intense debate about the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and the fact that a two of the new planes have crashed in less than six months.

Questions have also been raised about the disparity in experience between the co-pilot and captain on the Ethiopian aircraft.

The captain had 8000 total flying times, although it is not clear how much of that was on 737s, while the first officer had just 200 hours.

Boeing and the US National Transportation Safety Board have both sent teams to the crash site to work with Ethiopian authorities to try and determine a probable cause.

A preliminary report in the October 28 Lion Air crash pointed to a sequence of events that started with aircraft maintenance and ended with the pilots failing to follow a procedure that could have saved the plane.

READ: Indonesians retrieve data from second Lion Air black box.

A faulty angle of attack sensor caused automated systems on the plane to push down the nose and the flight crew was still fighting this when the plane plunged into the sea with 189 people on board. The sensor measures the pitch of the aircraft and whether the nose is too high.

The crash sparked a debate about a new feature on the plane, the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). MCAS is not engaged when the flaps are extended so some pilots believe it is unlikely to have been a factor in the Ethiopian crash.

This is software known as a flight control law that was added to the MAX to compensate for design changes and help pilots cope with a stall by improving aircraft handling characteristics and decreasing the pitch-up tendency at elevated angles of attack.

It essentially helps push down the nose if the aircraft’s computers detect a high angle of attack but there has been controversy among US pilots about whether Boeing flagged the feature sufficiently.

However, it is disabled if the crew follow runaway stabilizer protocols by flicking two switches and US authorities issued an emergency directive after the crash urging pilots to do this.

The FAA said in Monday’s Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community that it continues to monitor pending changes in the MCAS system, angle of attack sensor signal improvements and MCAS maximum command limits.

It is also monitoring changes to training associated with MCAS.

The US regulator expects to issue an airworthiness directive about the flight control system enhancements, which it says would reduce reliance on procedures associated with required pilot memory items, no later than April.

It said it had validated that the aircraft maintenance and functional check instructions for the angle of attack vane replacement were adequate and conducted simulator sessions to verify the operational procedures in its earlier AD.

It had also looked at angle-of-attack vane calibration and reviewed Boeing’s production processes related to the angle-of-attack vane and MCAS.

Boeing said the changes included updates to MCAS, pilot displays, operations manuals and crew training.

“The enhanced flight control law incorporates angle of attack (AOA) inputs, limits stabilizer trim commands in response to an erroneous angle of attack reading, and provides a limit to the stabilizer command in order to retain elevator authority,” it said.

Boeing said it was important to note the FAA was not mandating any further action at this time and the actions in its earlier AD continued to be appropriate.

It said MCAS was put through flight testing as part of the certification process and does not control the aircraft in normal flight, only abnormal situations.

Its flight crew operations manual already outlines a procedure to safely handle “the unlikely event of erroneous data coming from an angle of attack sensor”.

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