Boeing Cites Airline Error in Indonesian Crash

National Transportation Safety Committee investigator Nurcahyo Utomo holds a model of an airplane during a Wednesday press conference on the committee's preliminary findings on their investigation on the crash of Lion Air flight 610, in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: Achmad Ibrahim / Associated Press
National Transportation Safety Committee investigator Nurcahyo Utomo holds a model of an airplane during a Wednesday press conference on the committee's preliminary findings on their investigation on the crash of Lion Air flight 610, in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: Achmad Ibrahim / Associated Press

JAKARTA — The Boeing Co. has reassured travelers and airlines that its 737 MAX aircraft are as safe as any other airplane following a report on an investigation into a crash in Indonesia last month that killed 189 people.

The aircraft manufacturer noted that the report on the details of the doomed flight cited actions by the flight crew that led to the crash.

It noted the airline’s maintenance work and procedures had failed to fix repeated problems with the aircraft. It also said records on installation and calibration of a key component, an angle-of-attack, or AOA sensor, were incomplete.

The report said erroneous AOA data affected measurements of speed and altitude, contributing to the crash.

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Boeing said it is cooperating with investigators. It referred questions to the National Transportation Safety Board.

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The data reported Wednesday showed the pilots of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 struggled to maintain control as an automatic safety system repeatedly forced the plane’s nose down. The report repeats recommendations that pilots be better versed in emergency procedures aware of past aircraft problems.

The probe into the crash has focused on whether faulty information from sensors caused the accident. The new 737 MAX 8 plunged into the Java Sea on Oct. 29, killing all 189 people on board.

Shortly after the catastrophe, the airline issued a notice to pilots urging them to be more proactive in reporting problems.