The first report into the Ethiopian Airlines disaster has found the flight experienced "nose dive conditions", and pilots followed proper guidance but could not control the doomed Boeing 737 MAX 8 jetliner last month.

Key points: Ethiopian Airlines cites report, saying the aircraft nose-dived repeatedly before it crashed six minutes after take-off

Ethiopian Airlines cites report, saying the aircraft nose-dived repeatedly before it crashed six minutes after take-off The fatal crash saw Boeing's 737 MAX 8 model grounded globally

The fatal crash saw Boeing's 737 MAX 8 model grounded globally It was the second deadly accident in six months involving the new model

The jet crashed on March 10 shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 on board. It was the second crash of a 737 MAX within five months, following a Lion Air crash in Indonesia.

In a clear indication of where Ethiopian investigators are focusing most of their attention, the report cleared the pilots of using incorrect procedures and issued two recommendations directed at plane maker Boeing and regulators.

"The crew performed all the procedures repeatedly provided by the manufacturer but was not able to control the aircraft," Ethiopia's Transport Minister Dagmawit Moges said as she delivered the official report.

A statement from the airline said flight 302 repeatedly nose-dived before it crashed, citing the preliminary report.

"Despite all their hard work and full compliance with emergency procedures, it was very unfortunate that they could not recover the airplane from the persistence [of] nose-diving," the airline's statement on Twitter said.

Ms Moges recommended Boeing review the aircraft control system and that aviation authorities confirm the problem had been solved before allowing that model of plane back into the air.

The 737 MAX 8 was grounded globally following the crash, which was the second deadly accident in six months involving the new model.

Boeing responded to the report by expressing its "deepest sympathies" for the victims and families, and said safety was a "core value" at the company.

"Boeing's technical experts continue to assist in this investigation and company-wide teams are working to address lessons from the Lion Air Flight 610 accident in October," the company said in a statement.

Not yet known if structural problem exists on MAX 8s

Ethiopian investigators cannot yet say whether there is a structural problem with the jetliner, based on flight and cockpit voice data from the fatal crash.

"We will analyse whether other problems were existing on this aircraft," Amdye Ayalew Fanta told a news conference, adding this would take between six months and a year.

In line with international rules on air accidents, the preliminary report did not attribute blame. Nor did it give a detailed analysis of the flight, which is expected to take several months before a final report due within a year.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 54 seconds 54 s The 737 MAX was one of Boeing's most popular jets.

However, the report could spark a debate with Boeing about how crew responded to problems triggered by faulty data from an airflow sensor, particularly over whether they steadied the plane before turning key software off.

Families of the 157 victims, regulators and travellers around the world are waiting for clues to the accident after the new Boeing jet crashed six minutes after take-off.

The preliminary report into the Lion Air disaster said the pilots lost control after grappling with the aircraft's Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) software, a new automated anti-stall feature that repeatedly lowered the nose of the aircraft based on faulty data from a sensor.

Boeing said it had successfully tested an update of the MCAS software designed to reduce its authority and make it easer for pilots to handle.

"To ensure unintended MCAS activation will not occur again, Boeing has developed and is planning to release a software update to MCAS and an associated comprehensive pilot training and supplementary education program for the 737 MAX," the company said in its statement.

The plane maker is the focus of investigations by the US Justice Department, the Transportation Department's inspector general, and congressional committees.

Investigations are also looking at the role of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US, which certified the MAX in 2017 and declined to ground it after the first deadly crash in October.

The FAA said in a statement that it is continuing to work toward a full understanding of what happened and will take appropriate action as findings become available.

AP/Reuters