American Airlines 'unaware' of some Boeing 737 MAX functions until last week: Spokesman

American Airlines Group said Wednesday it was "unaware" of some functions of an anti-stall system on Boeing Co's 737 MAX until last week. Boeing and the US FAA issued guidance on the system last week after a Lion Air jet crashed in Indonesia on Oct. 29, killing all 189 people on board. The FAA warned airlines last week that erroneous inputs from the system's sensors could lead the jet to automatically pitch its nose down even when autopilot is turned off, making it difficult for pilots to control. The system was designed to prevent the jet from stalling, according to information provided by Boeing to airlines. "We value our partnership with Boeing, but were unaware of some of the functionality of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) installed on the MAX 8," an American Airlines spokesman said. "We must ensure that our pilots are fully trained on procedures and understand key systems on the aircraft they fly." Indonesian investigators said on Monday the situation the crew of a doomed Lion Air jet was believed to have faced was not contained in the aircraft's flight manual. The American Airlines spokesman said his airline was continuing to work with Boeing and the FAA and would keep pilots informed of any updates.<br/>