Ethiopia Crash Probe Advances With Voice Download, Fresh Details

Forensics experts comb through the dirt for debris at the crash site of the Ethiopian Airlines operated Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, at Hama Quntushele Village in Oromia region, on March 14, 2019, four days after the plane crashed into a field killing 157 passengers and crew. Tony Karumba/AFP/Getty Images

ADDIS ABABA/PARIS—The hunt for the cause of an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed all 157 people on board gathered pace on Saturday, March 16, when investigators successfully downloaded the cockpit voice recorder and fresh details emerged of the final seconds of the flight.

While experts said it is too soon to know what brought down the Boeing 737 MAX 8 on March 10, aviation authorities worldwide have grounded Boeing’s 737 MAXs, as concerns over the plane caused the company’s share price to tumble.