Report blames pilot for Ethiopian airline crash

Lebanese Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi revealed on Tuesday that the probe in the 2010 crash of the Ethiopian plane off the Lebanese coast, in which all 90 people on board died, points to a pilot error. “The truth is in the Lebanese report, the pilot is completely responsible for the plane crash,” the minister said during a press conference held at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International airport. Aridi pointed out that the direct reasons behind the incident fall on the pilot and the co-pilot who were on 51 days of service without a break. But Ethiopian Airlines officials say the plane exploded, which they say points to sabotage, a lightning strike or shooting down. Aridi ruled out reports saying sabotage was behind the crash. Meanwhile, Aridi refused to reveal the mission of the Ethiopian delegation headed by the Ethiopian Minister of Transportation in its visit to Lebanon. He also pointed out that he has nothing to do with paying compensation to the victims’ families, as it’s related to the Lebanese judiciary.