This was the document I was referring to. Stunning comment about the removal of the rear column switches.
The decision to disable the aft column cutout switch may not have been assessed as a hazard at all. Yet, this was the most threatening change made by Boeing, and very likely took away the last thread for survival on JT610 and I fear ET302.
How MCAS malfunctioned is irrelevant, the possibility exists that MCAS could malfunction. The aft column cutout switch has been a long-standing safety feature. Human factors must be taken into account. In the scenario where the stabilizer is running away nose down, the pilot may only fixate on pulling the column back in response. They may not be mentally capable to trim back or cutout the trim - instead they just keep pulling. That is where the aft column cutout switch saves the day. It very well could have been the last straw to save JT610."
https://www.satcom.guru/2019/03/ethi...s-to-lion.html