Part 5/11:
Central to the chaos of Lion Air Flight 610 was a lack of understanding—both among the flight crew and the airline—as to how the aircraft's systems functioned. The 737 Max incorporated a new software system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), designed to replicate the handling characteristics of older 737s. Unfortunately, MCAS relied on a single AoA sensor, which, if malfunctioning, could lead to catastrophic outcomes. This design decision has been widely criticized, as it placed too much authority in the hands of a single sensor without adequate redundancy.