Piece Found at Boeing 737 Crash Site Shows Jet Was Set to Dive
- Screw was said to be configured to put plane into a dive
- Downing of 737 Max jetliner in Ethiopia has grounded fleet
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A screw-like device found in the wreckage of the Boeing Co. 737 Max 8 that crashed Sunday in Ethiopia has provided investigators with an early clue into what happened, as work begins in France to decode the black boxes recovered from the scene.
The position of the so-called jackscrew, used to set the trim that raises and lowers the plane’s nose, indicates the jet was configured to dive, based on a preliminary review, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The evidence helped persuade U.S. regulators to ground the model, said the person, who requested anonymity to discuss the inquiry.