JT610 - 737 MAX MCAS Control Loss

The Boeing 737‑8 MAX departed Jakarta’s Soekarno‑Hatta International Airport on a domestic service to Pangkal Pinang with 181 passengers and 8 crew. Seconds after liftoff an angle‑of‑attack sensor transmitted erroneous high‑angle data, activating the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). MCAS repeatedly trimmed the stabiliser nose‑down despite crew attempts to maintain pitch. About eleven minutes after departure the aircraft entered a steep dive and struck the Java Sea at high speed, destroying the airframe and resulting in the loss of all persons on board. Indonesian investigators later found that faulty sensor input, maintenance lapses, insufficient crew training and MCAS design shortcomings led to loss of control in flight.