FAA Issues Emergency Directive For Boeing 737 MAX Planes

RENTON, WA - The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an "emergency airworthiness directive" for 737 MAX 8 and 9 planes due to a potentially faulty sensor. The problem was discovered during an investigation of the Lion Air jet crash last week.

The FAA's directive follows similar instructions sent by Boeing to plane owners. That directive went out Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.

According to the directive, the 737 MAX may erroneously sense a high angle of attack. That triggers the plane to "trim" the nose to prevent a stall. The Lion Air 737 MAX crashed shortly after takeoff, indicating the plane went into a high-speed dive.

"This condition, if not addressed, could cause the flight crew to have difficulty controlling the airplane, and lead to excessive nose-down attitude, significant altitude loss, and possible impact with terrain," the FAA directive warns. Read the full FAA directive here.

The directive comes as Boeing workers at the Renton factory are facing a huge backlog of work. The runways at Renton Municipal Airport have been literally overflowing with unfinished planes in recent months.

The first 737 MAX rolled off the assembly line in Renton in December 2015. Since then, Boeing has delivered about 200 MAX planes to a variety of airlines, primarily Southwest, American, Air Canada, and Lion Air.

Caption: A Boeing 737 MAX 8 airliner lifts off for its first flight on Jan. 29, 2016 in Renton. The 737 MAX is the newest of Boeing's most popular airliner featuring more fuel efficient engines and redesigned wings.

Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images