Report: Anti-stall system was on before Ethiopian jet crash

Investigators have determined that an anti-stall system automatically activated before an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max jet plunged into the ground, a newspaper reported Friday.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the preliminary conclusion was based on information from the aircraft’s data and voice recorders. The data showed that the malfunctioning automated system may be responsible for the deadly March 10 crash. It also is a strong link to the fatal crash of an Indonesian Lion Air Max jet, which had similar problems in October.

Both crashes killed a total of 346 people.

The newspaper cited unidentified people that it said were briefed on the investigation. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Ethiopian authorities wouldn’t comment Friday.