> To prevent this, Boeing added a new autopilot system that would pitch the nose down if it looked like it was getting too high. The biggest problem here is th

> To prevent this, Boeing added a new autopilot system that would pitch the nose down if it looked like it was getting too high. The biggest problem here is that the new autopilot system relies on a pair of Angle of Attack sensors. Those sensors are prone to damage, and if the sensor is damaged, the erroneous information it reports can engage the new autopilot system. One of the reasons why Southwest thinks it's immune to this problem, by the way, is because they paid extra for a system that displays an alert when the Angle of Attack sensors disagree with each other, so pilots are aware of what's wrong and can take action to stop it. Most other carriers, including Ethiopian and Lion Air, didn't. Also, other autopilot systems can be disengaged by pulling back on the stick. This one can't: you have to manually disengage the system. Pilots were never informed of any of this because Boeing wanted to maintain the fiction that the 737 MAX is no different than previous versions of the 737.