(CNN) A new statement from Boeing indicates that the aerospace manufacturer knew about a problem with the 737 Max aircraft well before the deadly October 2018 Lion Air crash, but decided not to do anything about it. Boeing previously acknowledged that an alert system that was supposed to be a standard feature in the fleet "was not operable on all airplanes." In its statement Sunday, Boeing maintained that the software issue "did not adversely impact airplane safety or operation." It's not known if the lack of the alert function played a role in the crashes of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines planes, which killed 346 people. But the disagree alert could have notified pilots that a sensor was malfunctioning.

Source: CNN May 06, 2019 00:59 UTC