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29 March 2024

Russian probe blames pilot error for crash that killed 71

Published
By AP

Russia's top investigative agency has blamed human error for a plane crash that killed all of the 71 people on board earlier this year.

The Investigative Committee said Tuesday that an official probe concluded that the Saratov Airlines' An-148 crashed on Feb. 11 when the captain took the plane into a steep dive after getting flawed air speed readings.

The committee said the incorrect information resulted from the pilots' failure to turn on the heating unit for the plane's pressure measurement equipment prior to takeoff.

Investigators had said earlier that the pilots placed the An-148 on autopilot after taking off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, but resumed manual control when they heard alarm signals warning of conflicting speed data. One indicator showed the plane's speed at zero.