Officials investigating the deadly crash of a Boeing 737 Max 8 jet in Ethiopia two weeks ago said a stall-prevention feature automatically activated before the aircraft crashed, killing 157 people, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The preliminary findings were based on data retrieved from the flight’s black boxes, the newspaper reported. It represents the strongest evidence that the automated system, called MCAS, malfunctioned in the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed earlier this month.
The findings from the flight's black box recorders is subject to revisions, The Wall Street Journal reported. A preliminary report from Ethiopian authorities is expected within days, the newspaper reported.
Boeing on Wednesday outlined an overhaul of the MCAS system, according to The Wall Street Journal. Changes include relying on data from both of the plane's sensors; previously, a single sensor was used to indicate the angle of the plane's nose.
Boeing’s 737 Max jets will remain grounded until the FAA and other aviation regulators approve the software fixes and are confident crews have been properly trained, the newspaper reported.
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