Faulty rudder control system to blame for AirAsia crash, say investigators
A faulty rudder control system and the pilots' response led to the crash of an AirAsia plane last year that killed all 162 people on board, Indonesian investigators have said.
The National Transportation Safety Committee announced on Tuesday that an analysis of Flight 8501's data recorder showed that the Airbus A320 had problems with its rudder control system while flying between the Indonesian city of Surabaya and Singapore on December 28.
The pilots attempted to respond to the problem, but the plane stalled and crashed into the Java Sea.
Aircraft maintenance records show the plane had problems with its rudder system 23 times in the 12 months prior to the crash.
The investigators said bad weather conditions did not play a role in the accident.
No distress signal was received.
