JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian aviation investigators say a nearly decade-long failure to properly repair a malfunctioning automatic throttle, pilots’ overreliance on the plane’s automation system, and inadequate training led to the crash of a Boeing 737-500 last year that killed 62 people.
Investigators say the Sriwijaya Air jet’s maintenance record showed the problem with the automatic throttle had been reported by pilots 65 times since 2013 and was still unsolved when the 26-year-old plane plunged into the Java Sea after taking off from Jakarta in January last year.
Investigators say the plane required less engine thrust as it neared its target altitude, but that the automatic throttle was unable to reduce the right engine’s power because of friction in the mechanical system.