Indonesia plane crash that killed 62 partly caused by nearly decade-long equipment failure

Investigators found that the failure to repair a malfunctioning automatic throttle for almost a decade led to a 2021 Indonesian plane crash that killed 62 people.

Lead investigator Nurcahyo Utomo said at a news conference that the pilots’ last conversation with air traffic control was about 4 minutes after takeoff, when they responded to an instruction to go up to 13,000 feet. The plane’s flight data recorder showed it reached an altitude of 10,900 feet and then began declining, Utomo said.

He said 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.