Lion Air crash: Probe sparks questions on why plane was cleared to fly

Faulty airspeed readings plagued the jet on its last four flights before it plunged into the Java Sea with 189 people aboard

Investigators are slowly piecing together clues of how Indonesia's worst air disaster in two decades transpired, raising questions over how a near brand-new Boeing Co jet that had recurring instrument failures was cleared for its ill-fated flight.  

The Lion Air Max 8 plane's angle-of-attack sensor, which helps aircraft maintain the correct pitch to stay airborne, was replaced the day before the October 29 crash after erroneous readings on a previous trip, the Indonesia National Transportation Safety Committee said Wednesday. Faulty airspeed readings plagued the jet on its last four flights before it plunged into the Java Sea with 189