JAKARTA, Indonesia — A rudder control system problem that had occurred nearly two dozen times in 12 months coupled with the pilots’ response led to last year’s crash of an AirAsia plane in Indonesia that killed all 162 people on board, investigators said Tuesday.
In releasing their report, the country’s National Transportation Safety Committee said an analysis of Flight 8501’s data recorder showed the rudder control system had sent repeated warnings to the pilots during the Dec. 28 flight.
Aircraft maintenance records for the Airbus A320 showed that similar problems with the rudder system had occurred 23 times during the year prior to the crash, including nine times in December.
Investigators said the malfunction by itself should not have been dangerous. But after the fourth time an alarm went off during the flight, a crew member apparently went outside of handbook recommendations and removed a circuit breaker to try to reset the system.
The autopilot then became disengaged, and the aircraft began to roll. It then began climbing rapidly before stalling and plummeting into the Java Sea.
