Maintenance Records List Numerous Gyro Issues Before Crash

Indonesian aviation safety regulators ruled Tuesday pilot error was at least partially to blame for the New Year's 2007 downing of an Adam Air Boeing 737-400 that claimed 102 lives.

"This accident resulted from a combination of factors, including the failure of the pilots to adequately monitor the flight instruments, particularly during the final two minutes of the flight," the country's National Transportation Safety Committee wrote in its report.

"Preoccupation with a malfunction of the Inertial Reference System (IRS) diverted both pilots' attention from the flight instruments, and allowed the increasing descent and bank angle to go unnoticed," the report adds.

Investigators also found maintenance records showing nearly 150 recurring problems with the accident aircraft's gyroscopic systems in the months leading up to the accident, reports Agence-France Presse.

"The pilots did not detect and appropriately arrest the descent soon enough to prevent loss of control," investigators said.

As ANN reported, Flight 574 crashed into the ocean near South Sulawesi January 1, 2007. In addition to both pilots, the 96 passengers and four crewmembers onboard were also lost. It took nine days before pieces of the wreckage were found; the aircraft's flight data recorders weren't located until August.

Adam Air has seen its share of problems since then, as well... including a back-breaking hard landing of another of its 737s in May 2007 Last week, the chief of air transport safety in Indonesia grounded the airline, following review of a quarterly safety report.

That review found Adam Air made "violations that could put passengers' safety at risk," said Budhi Muliawan Suyitno. Adam Air will be grounded at least another three months, until it comes up for review again.

Following yet another landing incident earlier this month, private investment company PT Bhakti Investama dumped its 50 percent stake in Adam Air, saying it didn't want to be associated with a carrier with its safety performance... or lack thereof.

FMI: www.adamair.co.id