Lion Air Jet Was ‘Un-Airworthy’ In Lead-Up To Fatal Crash, Investigators Say

Nurcahyo Utomo, an investigator for Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee, at a news conference announcing  preliminary findings on their investigation on the crash of Lion Air flight 610, in Jakarta, Indonesia on Wednesda

Achmad Ibrahim / AP

Investigators into Lion Air Flight 610’s fatal crash released a preliminary report on Wednesday, saying the jet’s pilots were struggling for control against an automated system that was bringing the Boeing 737’s nose down too far.

The report discussed Lion Air’s maintenance practices and an anti-stall system in the aircraft; investigators said it was “too early” to identify a firm cause for the crash.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed into the Java Sea less than 15 minutes after its Oct. 29 takeoff, killing 189 people. The plane had been in service only since August.