"Let's quit messing around about the chances of this happening being rare," Mr. Reed remembered saying. “The company outlined how a single sensor that measured the angle of the plane's nose would trigger MCAS, Mr. Reed recalled, but argued a failure wasn't likely and the system would kick in only in extreme conditions. "If it can happen, it's going to happen."

The Boeing spokesman said a single sensor "satisfied all certification and safety requirements," and potential additional training wasn't considered when assessing MCAS hazards.

From the start, safety-assessment documents Boeing provided to the FAA assumed pilots would be able to handle misfires. Regulators endorsed that determination, along with the single sensor. The FAA certification rules under which the MAX was allowed to fly assume pilots react correctly to certain emergencies 100% of the time.”

737 Max, Regulation didn’t save us