Boeing pilot texted about "egregious" issue with 737 MAX in 2016

The chief technical pilot for Boeing's 737 MAX said he experienced an "egregious" issue with the plane's automated MCAS system in a 2016 text message exchange, saying the system was "running rampant in the [simulator]," reports the New York Times.

Why it matters: MCAS malfunctions are at the center of 2 crashes that killed 346 people within the last year, and the pilot, Mark Forkner, said in the texts that he "basically lied to the regulators (unknowingly)" about the issues he experienced. Months before those texts, the FAA had approved his request to remove mentions of MCAS from the 737 MAX's pilot's manual.

Go deeper: Everything you need to know about the Boeing 737 MAX crashes