Boeing 737 accident near Beirut, Lb, January 25, 2010
On January 25, 2010, a Boeing 737, registered ETANB, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Beirut (Rafic Hariri International airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. 90 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2010
- Place
- Beirut, Lebanon · Rafic Hariri International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 90 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 800 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- ETANB · no longer on the register · serial 29935
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 25, 2010, about 0041 UTC, Ethiopian Airlines flight 409, Boeing 737-800, ET-ANB, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after takeoff from Beirut-Rafic Hairiri International Airport, Beirut, Lebanon. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 8 crew members and 92 passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed and there was no fire. The airplane was en route to Addis Ababa-Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The investigation is being conducted by the Lebanon Ministry of Public Works and Transport. A U.S. Accredited Representative from the NTSB has been assigned to assist in the investigation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Ethiopian Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: OLBA Beirut
- Destination: HAAB Addis Ababa
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 5 | |||
| Flight crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 82 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.