Lion Air crash report points to Boeing, pilots, maintenance
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian investigators found plenty of blame to go around for a Boeing 737 Max crash that killed 189 people a year ago.
They faulted design decisions by Boeing that made the plane vulnerable to failure of a single sensor. They criticized U.S. safety regulators who certified the plane. And they pointed fingers at one of their country’s own airlines, Lion Air, for inadequate pilot training and maintenance lapses.
Investigators said in a report issued Friday that a combination of nine main factors doomed the brand-new Boeing jet that plunged into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff on Oct. 29, 2018.
The final report is likely to put more pressure on Boeing, which is under investigation by the Justice Department and Congress. Boeing is still working to fix its best-selling plane seven months after all Max jets were grounded following a second crash on March 10 in Ethiopia, which killed 157 people.
Facebook launches a news section — and will pay publishers
Facebook is introducing the “News Tab,” a new section in its mobile app that will display news headlines selected by journalists. Publishers will be paid for the use of their material. The social network has long been at odds with news publishers who complain it benefits from sharing of their stories without paying for them. It’s potentially a big step for a platform long characterized by its difficulties stamping out misinformation and its unwillingness to contract with publishers.
S&P nearly sets record
Wall Street nearly delivered a milestone Friday as the S&P 500 index touched an all-time high before settling just below the record close it reached in July. Despite falling short of a new closing highwater mark, stocks notched solid gains as investors welcomed solid company earnings reports and an encouraging update on the trade talks between the U.S. and China.
The buying accelerated around midday after the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said the discussions with China’s negotiating team “made headway and the two sides are close to finalizing some sections of the agreement.”