Beirut: A preliminary report on the crash of
an Ethiopian airliner in Lebanon in which all 90 people on
board died earlier this year clearly points to pilot error,
according to a source close to the probe.
"The accident was due to a series of errors on the part
of the pilots who failed to take into account the signals
emitted by the plane`s instruments," the source, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, told.
"The report indicates that the plane was in good
condition and points to error on the part of the pilot and
co-pilot, both of whom had little experience with the jet,"
the source added.
The pilots erroneously believed that the jet was on
automatic pilot and as a result failed to heed the alarm
signals as the plane veered off course before crashing, he
added.
The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 went down minutes
after taking off from Beirut in bad weather on January 25,
killing 83 passengers and seven crew.
Lebanese officials have previously said that data
recovered from the plane`s black box showed all instruments
were working well until it plunged into the Mediterranean in a
fierce storm.
The preliminary report, which has not been made public,
indicates that both the pilot`s and co-pilot`s inexperience
with the jet was "certainly behind the accident", the source
said.
PTI
