Fatal crashes of Boeing 737 Max 8 planes less than five months apart have alarmed the public, triggering a wave of groundings worldwide, but experts say reported similarities between the two disasters are not conclusive evidence of a shared cause.

The Ethiopian Airlines crash Sunday which claimed 157 lives was the second for the new Boeing plane after a Max 8 jet operated by Indonesia's Lion Air plunged into the Java Sea in October, killing 189 people.

Jakarta-based aviation expert Gerry Soejatman said airlines are being inundated with calls from travelers which along with governments grounding Max 8 fleets "shows that the public is scared."

Aviation experts contacted by Associated Press said only flight data recorders can provide conclusive evidence about what caused the Ethiopian Airlines crash.