Capt. Jason Goldberg, spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, said today's findings show that the malfunction involving the automated anti-stall software — the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS — is "a serious emergency."

"The initial findings of the Ethiopian investigation confirm for us that an MCAS malfunction is a serious emergency and not a benign event," he said in a statement.

The Allied Pilots Association is American Airline’s pilots union.

Goldberg said pilots remain "cautious and hopeful that the potential fix will be thoroughly vetted and not hurried or fast tracked."

"The APA will remain actively engaged to ensure that the 737 Max will fly again only when all stakeholders are satisfied the aircraft is ready,” he said.