The new engine installation changed the aircraft handling characteristics.[12] To make the 737 MAX perform similarly to its immediate predecessor, the 737NG, Boeing added the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) flight control law. When a single angle of attack (AoA) sensor indicated that the angle was too high, MCAS would trim the horizontal stabilizer in the nose-down direction.[13] This was necessary to meet Boeing's internal objective of minimizing training requirements for pilots already qualified on the 737NG. However, the MAX would have met certification standards even without MCAS, according to both the FAA and EASA.[14] The presence of MCAS in Boeing 737 MAX was intentionally omitted from the pilot handbook.[12]