And a poor design with the engines improperly set on the wings.
Actually there is nothing wrong with the 737 MAX design
No wait, hear me out.
The engines do sit differently on the MAX, but there is nothing wrong with the design. What got Boeing in trouble was the plane handled differently than a regular 737.
Boeing had 2 options:
1. Have pilots retrain on the new 737 MAX. Safest but more expensive for the plane purchasers.
2. Make the MAX fly just like a regular 737 using the MCAS software. No pilot retraining required.
It’s the equivalent of someone saying “we drive Ferrari’s, but are now buying Porsche cars, but they have to handle like a Ferrari”
That’s what the problem is. They tried to make the new MAX handle like the old 737 planes but they botched it. Now MAX pilots have to train without the MCAS, just like they should have in the beginning.