Boeing criticised in investigation into Lion Air 737 MAX crash

Investigators say failings from Boeing, Lion Air and the pilots onboard led to the crash of a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX off the coast of Indonesia in October last year which resulted in the deaths of 189 people.

A 335 page report found fault with the design of the anti-stall software system known as MCAS, which automatically pushed the aircraft’s nose down and would have required 103 pounds of strength to counteract.

Indonesian investigators said a sensor that provided data to the software system had been incorrectly calibrated during repairs in Florida, adding that it appeared the device had not been put through the proper tests during its installation aboard the aircraft.

The report from Indonesia's national transportation safety committee recommended that Boeing should redesign MCAS and provide more information about the software system for pilots during training.

The American aircraft manufacturer said it was addressing the recommendations listed in the report.

Meanwhile, investigators said faults in earlier flights should have resulted in the plane being grounded by low-cost airline Lion Air and that more than 30 pages were missing from the maintenance log.

The pilots were also criticised, with the report citing "deficiencies" in their communication in the lead up to the incident and noting that the first officer had been unable to rapidly identify a handbook checklist or perform some essential tasks from memory.

All of Boeing's 737 Max aircraft were grounded in March after the model was involved in a second crash in Ethiopia which claimed the lives of 157 passengers and crew.

Earlier this week, Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenberg said that the company had developed software and training updates for the 737 MAX and was optimistic that the aircraft would return to service before the end of the year.