When Boeing’s board gathered on Monday, it confronted a grim reality. The crash of two 737 Max jets had already thrown the company into the biggest crisis in its 103-year history, and things only seemed to be getting worse.

During tense meetings at the Boeing facilities in San Antonio, where the company makes Air Force One, executives and directors spent more than five hours discussing how to manage a worrisome cascade of bad news in recent weeks.

It was revealed on Friday that before the Max was certified, a pilot who played a central role in the plane’s development had voiced concerns about an automated system that played a part in both crashes. The revelation undermined an essential part of Boeing’s defense, opened the company to more legal exposure and sent the stock price plummeting as Wall Street grew more concerned about when the plane would get back in the air.

Some at Boeing have expressed concern that the messages may have further complicated efforts to return the Max to service, according to three people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.