Indonesia sends components of crashed jet to US, UK for examination

Rescuers find debris of the crashed Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182 in the waters off Jakarta, Indonesia on January 10, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) Soerjanto Tjahjono told the media that the components, including the autothrottle that controls engine power automatically, had been sent for examination to help find out the cause of the crash.

The plane’s flight data recorder (FDR) has been found and read by investigators but a maritime search is going on for the cockpit voice recorder’s (CVR) memory unit that Tjahjono said would help explain any human factors behind the crash.

With only the FDR, investigators do not know why the parameter changed nor what was the reason, he said, so they need confirmation from the components that have been sent to the US and UK and the CVR.

The KNNT said last month it was investigating whether a problem with the autothrottle system contributed to the crash given an issue with it had been reported on a flight a few days earlier.

It is acceptable for a plane to fly with an autothrottle system that is not working because pilots can control it manually instead, the agency noted.

KNKT plans to issue a preliminary report into the crash of Sriwijaya Air SJ182 soon, possibly on February 9, Tjahjono said.

The Sriwijaya Air SJ182 jet crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta on January 9, killing all 62 people on board, including 50 passengers and 12 crew members

It is the second air crash off the coast of Indonesia in just over two years. A Boeing 737 Max operated by Indonesian airline Lion Air hurtled into the sea off Jakarta in October 2018, killing all 189 passengers and crew./.

VNA