The Ethiopian Airlines crew in charge of the plane that crashed last month killing all 157 on board followed all correct airplane protocols stipulated by Boeing but was unable to take control of the flight, Ethiopian investigators said Thursday.

Ethiopia Transportation Minister Dagmawit Moges said in a press conference Thursday the first wave of the investigation's results found the Boeing 737 MAX 8 involved in the crash had been cleared by to fly by the ministry's standards, the pilots and flight crew were licensed and properly trained for operating the plane, and the flight had "a very normal" taxi and takeoff from the Addis Ababa airport.

The investigation's results hinges on analysis from 18 Ethiopian and international investigators, in addition to information extracted from the plane's "black box."

According to the investigation, the flight crew did every maneuver according to protocols set by both international aviation standards and set by the Boeing company, the aircraft's manufacturer. Moges said that at no point after the initial nose-dive was the crew "able to control the aircraft."

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The Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Group, who is the parent company of Ethiopia Airlines, said the preliminary results from the investigation shows the airline followed all proper procedures and the airline is not at fault in any way for the crash.

"All of us at Ethiopian Airlines are still going through deep mourning for the loss of our loved ones and we would like to express our deep sympathy and condolences for the families, relatives and friends of the victims," Ethiopia Airlines Aviation Group CEO GebreMariam said in the statement Thursday. "Meanwhile, we are very proud of our pilots' compliance to follow the emergency procedures and high level of professional performances in such extremely difficult situations."

After Moges' news conference, U.S. federal aviation authorities released a statement.

"We continue to work towards a full understanding of all aspects of this accident. As we learn more about the accident and findings become available, we will take appropriate action,” the Federal Aviation Administration said .