Air Transport

^{LEITHEN FRANCIS / SINGAPORE}

Investigators say incorrect configuration meant twinjet was unable to get airborne when taking off from Medan

Investigations into September’s fatal crash of a Boeing 737-200 in Indonesia have determined that an incorrect flap setting was a contributing factor.

Industry sources in Indonesia familiar with the probe say investigators from Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Commission (NTSC) have discovered that the Mandala Airlines aircraft failed to get airborne because the flaps were set incorrectly.

The 737-200, registered PK-RIM, took off from Medan airport on 5 September and crashed into approach lights at the end of the runway. It then went through a fence and on to a street, where it crashed into residential buildings, resulting in the death of 99 of the 117 people on board and nearly 50 people on the ground.

After the crash there were reports that the NTSC investigators had found a fan blade in poor condition. But a source in Indonesia familiar with the probe says investigators took the suspect Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 engine to Indonesian Aerospace’s hangar in Bandung for examination and found “there was no indication that the engine was not working”.

NTSC investigators also determined there was no fuel contamination, says the source. The NTSC is still working on its analysis, but hopes to “come up with a final draft [report]” at the end of May.