Investigators inspect pieces of the Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182 retrieved from the Java Sea where the passenger jet crashed on Jan 9. (PHOTO / AFP)
JAKARTA - Indonesia’s air accident investigator is probing whether a problem with the autothrottle system, that controls engine power automatically, contributed to the Sriwijaya Air crash on Jan 9 that killed all 62 people on board, an official said on Friday.
National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) investigator Nurcayho Utomo said a problem with the Boeing 737-500’s autothrottle system was reported after a flight a few days earlier.
“There was a report of malfunction on the autothrottle a couple of days before to the technician in the maintenance log, but we do not know what kind of problem,” he told Reuters. “If we find the CVR (cockpit voice recorder) we can hear the discussion between the pilots, what they talked about and we will know what is the problem.”
It remains unclear whether a problem with the autothrottle system contributed to the crash, Utomo said, adding he could not recall any other issues raised in the maintenance log.
National Transportation Safety Committee investigator Nurcayho Utomo said a problem with the Boeing 737-500’s autothrottle system was reported after a flight a few days earlier
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It is acceptable for a plane to fly with an autothrottle system that is not working because pilots can control it manually instead, he said.
Sriwijaya said he was unable to comment on technical matters involving the investigation before an official statement was made by KNKT. A preliminary report is expected to be issued within 30 days of the crash, in line with international standards.
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It remains unclear whether a problem with the autothrottle system contributed to the crash, Utomo said, adding he could not recall any other issues raised in the maintenance log.
It is acceptable for a plane to fly with an autothrottle system that is not working because pilots can control it manually instead, he said.
Sriwijaya said he was unable to comment on technical matters involving the investigation before an official statement was made by KNKT. A preliminary report is expected to be issued within 30 days of the crash, in line with international standards.
