Lion Air: Sensor was replaced day before crash but problems persisted

CNN — Problems were reported on a Lion Air jet that crashed into the sea off Jakarta even after technicians replaced a sensor on board the aircraft, investigators said. Unscrambling the jargon In its statement on Wednesday, Boeing said that the Indonesian transport committee had indicated that Flight 610 had “experienced erroneous input from one of its AOA sensors.” An AOA sensor is an instrument, similar to a small wind vane, that sits outside the plane just below the cockpit and sends information to its computers about the angle of the plane’s nose relative to the oncoming air. Video Ad Feedback Lion Air black box recovered, officials say 03:49 - Source: CNN Problems with air speed indicators Investigators who analyzed the jet’s flight data recorder after the October 29 crash said there were problems with the air speed indicator on the past three flights before the crash. After problems were reported with the air speed indicator, the AOA sensor was replaced by a Lion Air technician in Bali before the plane departed for Jakarta on its penultimate flight. PRADITA UTAMA/AFP/Getty Images Following Boeing’s bulletin, the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday issued an airworthiness directive to Boeing 737 MAX 8 crews if they experience the same problems that brought down Lion Air Flight 610.