The spoiler of ill-fated plane did not work: Board
Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post/Surakarta
A malfunctioning spoiler was a catalyst, but bad weather was the major factor behind the deadly crash of a Lion Air passenger plane that killed at least 26 people and seriously injured dozens of others, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Thursday.
Head of the government-sanctioned board Setio Rahardja said that the plane's spoiler did not work well and this was compounded by the poor weather, making it difficult for the plane to come to a standstill.
"The reverse system of the spoiler did not function properly but the landing gear, including the tires, was in good condition," Setio was quoted as saying by AFP.
"Of course bad weather played a very big part in the accident," he quickly added.
The spoiler is a plate along the upper surface of an airplane wing, which functions to reduce the lift and increase its drag.
Setio said according to what witnesses said, the ill-fated plane had not touched down where it should have.
The Lion Air McDonnell-Douglas MD-82 plane flying from Jakarta skidded off a slippery runway after landing at Adi Sumarmo International Airport in Surakarta, Central Java, on Tuesday evening.
The aircraft slammed into the metal fence of a cemetery nearby and into the ground, seriously damaging the plane's front section.
The domestic budget airline, which had experienced several accidents previously, has cited bad weather and a strong tailwind as the cause of the tragedy.
Speaking here after visiting the crash site and victims, Vice President Jusuf Kalla urged that aviation infrastructure be immediately examined to meet international standards in order to avoid more accidents in the future.
"What's important now is a review of the physical condition of our airports. If something is wrong, fix it," said Kalla, who was accompanied by Minister of Transportation Hatta Radjasa, People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid, and Central Java Governor Mardiyanto.
Kalla also brushed off the idea of enacting a new regulation on air fares, amid concerns that new airlines reduced maintenance costs to be able to offer lower fares.
"I think maintenance is very important and I suppose, airline companies have their own way to operate efficiently," he said.
Kalla said that the plane had already been certified to fly and was in a good condition. He also said that the directorate of airline certification would not be careless in certifying a plane as airworthy because it worked in accordance with regulations set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The government also said it would not announce anything until investigators completed their work. The work includes examining the airplane's two black boxes, which have been found and will be sent directly to the United States for investigation.
"It will take around two to three months to solve this case, especially to examine the black boxes, which have to be sent to the country where the plane was assembled," said Setio.
Also on Thursday, workers started removing plane debris from the airport with heavy equipment sent to the area. The process was expected to be completed within the next four days.
In Jakarta, Hatta said his department was considering either reviewing or temporarily stopping the issuance of licenses for new airlines.
"If now we regularly check the condition of airplanes, we must start conducting double checks and more frequent monitoring. We will also order airlines to upgrade their service and security," he said, adding that he would also lead an audit on all domestic airlines.